The Triumphant Return of a British Television Icon
After nearly three decades off the air, the legendary gameshow Bullseye is making a spectacular comeback to British television screens. Cricket hero Freddie Flintoff is spearheading the revival, following a successful Christmas special that captured the nation's heart last year. The new series will see Flintoff team up with darts sensation Luke Littler to put contestants through their paces, recreating the magic that once attracted 18 million viewers weekly during the programme's 1980s heyday.
The Original Bullseye Phenomenon
For 14 glorious years, Bullseye provided perfect Sunday tea-time entertainment, featuring amateur darts players competing for luxury prizes that famously included speedboats. The show became a cultural touchstone, remembered for its light-hearted charm and the irrepressible hosting of Jim Bowen. Bowen's old-school, slightly clumsy comedy style endeared him to millions, creating what many consider brilliant family viewing at its best.
Reflecting on the show's success before his passing in 2018, Bowen told The Sun: 'The working classes in particular took to Bullseye and I had great fun making the programme. The show had a certain naivety.' He acknowledged that in an era with only four television channels and no internet competition, Bullseye had a unique opportunity to capture mass audiences. 'People had to watch me,' he quipped about his 26-week annual appearances over 15 years.
Behind the Scenes: Chaos and Charm
The early days of Bullseye were far from smooth sailing. Bowen was actually producers' fifth choice to host what would become a cult classic, and his initial performances left much to be desired. 'I must have set light entertainment back 20 years I was that bad,' Bowen later joked about his first recordings.
Budget constraints led to creative solutions that now seem charmingly amateurish. The production could only afford three electronic digits for score displays, meaning when totals exceeded £1,000, a handwritten number '1' had to be physically stuck on a card in front of the display. One particularly memorable incident involved a spelling mistake that required physically cutting and sellotaping letters from footage to correct a contestant's error.
Bowen's unscripted moments often provided the show's most memorable comedy, though not always intentionally. When one female contestant mentioned she'd been on a sponsored slim, Bowen blurted out: 'How much do you owe them?' Such moments, while potentially awkward, made the show feel genuine and accessible to viewers.
Prizes, Speedboats and Unforgettable Contestants
The show became famous for its eclectic prize offerings, ranging from modest rollerskates and teasmaids to the legendary Bully's Star Prize. Show director Peter Harris secured an ongoing deal with Fletcher speedboats, making them the most frequent luxury prize - though as Bowen noted, 'It was a nice prize, though not very good if you lived in Wolverhampton.'
Among the thousands who applied to appear on the show, one contestant stands out for the darkest reasons. John Cooper, who appeared on May 28, 1989, was later identified as a serial killer through his television appearance. Police investigating two double murders were able to cross-reference witness descriptions with footage of Cooper on Bullseye, ultimately leading to his conviction in 2011. The recording became 'gold dust to the police,' according to investigator Jonathan Hill.
Bullseye provided Bowen and his wife Phyllis with a comfortable lifestyle through repeats, with Bowen noting that 'little cheques still float through the door that bring a smile to our faces.' The show finally left screens in 1995, leaving a gap in Sunday evening television that many viewers felt deeply.
Now, with Flintoff at the helm and modern production values, the revived Bullseye has the opportunity to capture a new generation of fans while delighting those who remember the original. Whether it can live up to the adulation of Bowen's era remains to be seen, but the return of this British television institution is already generating significant excitement.
Bullseye returns to ITV1 at 8pm on Sunday, promising to blend nostalgic charm with contemporary entertainment under Flintoff's enthusiastic guidance.
